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amylillian22 · 4 years

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What If I Never Get Over You (Part 1) - Chris Evans Imagine

Summary: Y/N’s performing with her band for the first after their long hiatus. It’s also the first time performing since her break up with long time boyfriend, Chris Evans. Everything goes smoothly until she sees Chris Evans in the crowd right before she sings a song she wrote about him.

Word Count: 1,807

Pairings: Chris Evans x Reader, Cody Christian x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of heartbreak

Author’s Note: Based on Lady A’s “What If I Never Get Over You” (Click on the title to listen to the song on YouTube.

Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to the song - which are in Bold & Italic - and belong to the song writers, Jon Green, Laura Veltz, Ryan Hurd, and Sam Ellis.

[Part 2] /// [Part 3]

I pulled the curtain back a little bit, letting me catch a small glimpse of the small crowd tonight. People were sitting and talking amongst themselves as they waited for us to start the show. My eyes flickered to the table I had reserved for my boyfriend and two of my closest friends, who were all laughing. My boyfriend, Cody Christian, turned in my direction and his eyes immediately locked with mine. He smiled and mouthed, "good luck. I love you."

I smiled back at him. "Love you too," I mouthed back.

"Hey, we're about to go on stage," Dave said. "You ready?"

"Whoa! Are you okay?" Charles asked. "You look a bit nervous."

"I'm fine," I swallowed the tightness in my throat, hoping my nerves would also go away. "I mean this is the first time we perform together in a couple of years. Not to mention, we're doing an acoustic show for our new album. I'd say 'nervous' is an understatement," I slightly lied to my band mates.

All of that is true. Our band, Lady Antebellum, took a couple of years off due to weddings, children being born, and me dealing with the hardest heartbreak I'd had ever experienced.

Chris Evans was the love of my life. We dated for 7 years before he broke up with me 4 years ago. We were high school sweethearts. I saw his career explode once he became Captain America. He was there when Lady Antebellum started in Charles' garage and slowly turned into a platinum recording, award winning country band. We supported each other. I tried my best to attend most of his premiere events. I always left a concert ticket for him at Will Call when my band was playing in a city he was filming. We made it work. We fell in love and I swore he was the one.

"Hello, everybody!" The announcer spoke through the speakers, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Welcome to a very special night. Not only is this a one of a kind acoustic show, but Lady Antebellum has also decided to record tonight's show for an acoustic album, which will be released before the holidays."

The crowd cheered and clapped at the surprise announcement. I took a deep breath as Charles handed me my microphone. I plugged in my In-Ear monitor plugs and closed my eyes, taking it all in.

"Please welcome to the stage, Lady Antebellum!"

The curtains pulled up. I forced a smile as several spotlights hit us, not letting me see most of the crowd. I looked to the far left, my eyes immediately landed on Cody. He didn't like that I picked the furtherest table to the side. He wanted front row seats, but I needed to see him. I needed him there in case I got nervous. I needed to be able to see him, knowing he would put me at ease.

"Hello, Boston!" Charles said over his mic as he sat down on his bar stool.

"How are we doing tonight?" I asked and sat in my bar stool next to Charles. I made myself comfortable as the crowed hollered with excitement.

Dave's fingers started moving on the piano. "We hope you enjoy this piano and acoustic show tonight."

Over the next hour, we sang our new songs and talked in between almost every song. We either talked about how the song came about or talked to the crowd. We let some of them ask us a couple of questions. It went smooth sailing. I had forgotten how much I loved singing and performing in front of a crowd. I was ready to hit the road in a couple of weeks and get back to singing in sold-out arena shows.

"Y/N, do you kind of want to tell the crowd about our last song of the night?" Charles asked me. He grabbed my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, knowing I would need some support.

I looked over at Cody, and he gave me a small nod. I knew he was telling me it was okay. Although he knows I love him, he also knew the story about this next painful song.

I took a deep breath. "We have all experienced heartbreak at some point. I thought I did until the last breakup I went through. It's no secret who I dated in the past and when that happened, I was in a very dark and miserable hole. I know some of y'all were devastated when we took a break from the band, but I needed that time to heal, mend, put the pieces back together to try and get back the person I used to be.

"So, after a few months, I grabbed a pen and some paper, and everything I felt, thought, and wanted to say came flowing out," I finished.

"When she showed us the lyrics..." Dave trailed, "I was blown away. I could feel the emotions and rawness with every line. Charles and I were there for Y/N, and we thought we knew what she was going through," he shook his head. "We didn't know to what extent until we read the song. You could feel what Y/N was going through. Its painful, yet relatable, even if you've never experienced a painful heartbreak."

"When I got home after Y/N showed us the lyrics, I hugged my wife. I was internally grateful she has never broke my heart and wanted to spend her life with me forever," Charles added.

"Heartbreak is never easy," I said. "But it doesn't last forever. Always remember there is a flicker of hope, even in the darkest places," I smiled looking at Cody.

Dave started playing "What If I Never Get Over You" on the piano. Charles pulled the microphone to his lips and sang the first verse.

It's supposed to hurt, it's a broken heart But the moving on is the hardest part It comes in waves, the letting go

My eyes flickered back to Cody, getting ready to sing the chorus. Except, my eyes landed on the man sitting alone at the table behind Cody. My heart dropped to my stomach as I hadn't seen him in years. Truthfully, I wasn't expecting him to come. I didn't tell him either, but old habits die hard. I had left 2 tickets at Will Call for him.

When did he get here? Has he been here since the beginning of the show? Did he purposely sit behind Cody, knowing I would see him? I thought to myself.

"But the memory fades, everybody knows, everybody knows," Charles must have known I was distracted, because he grabbed my hand once more and squeezed it, signaling me to sing the chorus with him.

What if I'm trying, but then I close my eyes and then I'm right back Lost in that last goodbye, what if time doesn't do what it's supposed to do? What if I never get over you?

I took a deep breath and fought against the tears that were starting to form in my eyes as I sang my verse.

Maybe months go by, maybe years from now And I meet someone and it's working out Every now and then, he can see right through 'Cause when I look at him, yeah, all I see is you

I closed my eyes, seeing flashbacks of my relationship with Chris. All happy memories of us laughing, traveling, stealing kisses, having fun together, and loving each other. I felt a tear drop sliding down my cheek as I sang the chorus again with the guys.

What if I'm trying, but then I close my eyes and then I'm right back Lost in that last goodbye, what if time doesn't do what it's supposed to do? What if I never get over you?

I finally opened my eyes, my vision completely blurry. I fought the tightness in my throat, hoping my voice wouldn't crack while singing. I looked at Charles as we took turns singing lines with the next verse, matching our harmonies together at the end.

What if I never get over? What if I never get closure? What if I never get back all the wasted words I told you? What if it never gets better? What if this lasts forever and ever and ever, I'm tryin'

Dave's fingers stopped moving along the piano when I stopped singing. The entire crowd was dead silent; you could hear a pin drop. I could see a couple of the fans with sad looks on their faces. I looked over and saw Chris' eyes filled with tears. I closed my eyes and I was right back to the moment that broke me.

"I can't do this anymore," Chris said. "You're an amazing person, but-"

He looked at me with tears in his eyes, unable to finish the sentence as if that would kill me and not his first sentence, 'I can't do this anymore'.

"I'm sorry," he said, leaving me in the pouring rain with no explanation and a broken heart.

I slowly opened my eyes and wiped away the fallen tears with the back of my hand. It hurts. Singing this song, especially with Chris in the crowd, it was like my wound had been reopened again and I hated it. I didn't want to feel this way. I don't want to be reminded of all the good and bad memories. How is it possible to still feel this way years later?

I bit my lip and nodded, signaling the boys I was ready to finish the last verse. I closed my eyes as I sang the first note.

But then I close my eyes and then I'm right back Lost in that last goodbye, what if time doesn't do what it's supposed to do? What if I never get over you?

What if I gave you everything I got What if your love was my one and only shot What if I end up with nothing to compare it to What if I never get over you?

I opened my eyes. I stood up from my bar stool and walked off the stage as the crowded clapped. I rushed passed the announcer, down the side stairs, and made it out to the floor. My eyes stayed focus on one person as I made my way through his table. Chris swallowed hard, noticing I was headed towards his direction.

I stopped in front of Cody, who immediately stood up. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tight. With my eyes never once leaving Chris', I whispered in Cody's ear, "please don't ever leave me. I can't go through this again."

Chris got up and left without looking back at me. I closed my eyes, letting more tears fall as I sniffled. Cody held me close, tight, yet so gentle; reassuring me he would never hurt me like Chris had in the past.

#chris evans #chris evans imagine #chris evans imagines #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans fan fiction #Chris Evans x reader #cody christian #cody christian imagines #cody Christian imagine

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atinytokki · 3 years

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𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Chapter 8: The Black Crow

A blurry light illuminated the darkness from the central table, accompanied by the blurry sounds of two separated groups catching each other up on the events of the past months.

The five had decided to spend the night in their new lodgings, a large but comfortable space that could sleep all seven officers if it needed to, and Mingi was slowly draining his bottle while he sat with the others to deliberate their course of action.

“....and so the mermaids sped us here, to Geobugi, where thankfully we caught you in time,” San finished explaining. “Although, I suppose the destination is the same. Haemin territory.”

Hums of acknowledgement echoed around the table before Yunho spoke up. “We ourselves only recently arrived, but I think it’s relevant to let you know the situation here. Pirates are united again, and they want to join the war. Our rescue mission looks to them like an opportunity to justify their involvement.”

San and Jongho glanced at each other but didn’t rush to give their opinions. After a moment, Seonghwa’s quiet voice filled the space.

“Hongjoong told us to stay away from all this. He told Wooyoung and Yeosang to stay away. Do we really think they’ll want to be rescued from a conflict they’ve been dragged into only to turn around and start the fight again?”

“I understand that, hyung, I do,” San broke in, a cloud drawn over his face as he spoke urgently. “But I’ve been running away all this time and I’m so, so sick of it. I know you came out here in your princely attire to join the battle and I respect that you may have changed your mind, but you haven’t seen the enemy like I have.”

Jongho nodded. “I wish to fight as well. Haemin won’t stop taking innocent lives once we rescue Yeosang and Wooyoung from the Crow.”

Yunho sighed and took a swig of his own bottle before turning to Mingi. “Well, Quartermaster, what do you think?”

Mingi startled. What did he think?

He thought all of this felt wrong. He could hear the familiar tune of their crew happily dancing and singing a drinking song in the next lodging house over, and he could feel the ocean breeze gently caressing his face, and he could sense the eyes of his friends on him, looking to him for his answer, but he was drunk and dizzy and wanted more than anything to just turn back time.

Whether to stay safely tucked away or whether to risk their lives and fight didn’t seem like his decision to make.

“I say we wait to see what Yeosang and Wooyoung have to say about it,” he settled on, downing his drink and tossing the bottle in the bin. “There’s no use trying to make up our minds now.”

A knock sounded at the door before anyone could debate him.

“Medical visit!” Maddox’s voice sounded from the wooden porch, and when the rest looked to him, Mingi stood and opened it for the fellow quartermaster.

Namji stood there next to him, arms full of supplies and hair pulled back by a whale bone shard, and glanced around the room until she spied Jongho sitting on one of the sofas off to the side, his injured leg propped up on the arm.

“Two have come, two more remain to be saved?” She asked as she entered the room and set down her things.

Seonghwa opened his mouth to correct her but, faltering, settled on answering “Yes.”

“Excuse me, but I hardly think this is necessary,” San butted in, crossing his arms and taking up residence next to Jongho on the sofa. “I’ve already looked at his wound and treated it.”

The woman blinked and suddenly went beet red. “Choi San?” She asked hesitantly, reaching out a hand to be shaken when he confirmed. “I remember you from your past visits. I doubt you remember me though, you were in quite a hurry.”

He squinted at her until the memory resurfaced. “The apothecary shop?”

“Yes!” Namji beamed and nodded, going about removing Jongho’s bandage while she explained. “I still work there but I’m the surgeon for the Stardust now— or at least I will be when we finally set sail as a crew.”

“Setting sail as a crew?” Mingi questioned Maddox, eyebrow raised and a smile playing on his face. “Without Eden?”

“Oh, no, we’ll pick him up from the Mystic’s Island, next order of business.”

“And if he doesn’t want to come?” Yunho scoffed. He couldn’t imagine Eden rejoining the action after the devastating injury he had sustained.

“He will,” Maddox assured them. “By now if he’s with her, he knows the situation. You told me yourself a few nights ago how much of the war she had foreseen. The time for waiting around has come and gone. And the men will be happy to have their captain among them again.”

Mingi’s shoulders fell in defeat and he accidentally made eye contact with Seonghwa.

It was too bad they didn’t have that option themselves.

San and Namji were still arguing, pleasantries out of the way.

“But if it’s infected and the blood rushes to his head then—”

“But see, there is no open wound, so he’s in no danger of that.”

“Will one of you just get me walking again?” Jongho interjected with a tired grumble.

It took some effort for both surgeons to agree on a course of action and work together, and as they settled down and treated their patient, Mingi wandered to the balcony and gazed out at the lights of Geobugi.

Even the pirate islands close by to the east were somewhat visible, just as lively in the night as in the day. Dots of light decorated the shoreline, their golden rays bouncing off the moving water, making them appear to be floating on a bed of stars.

In the centre of the town, a tree stood tall. The leaves were few and far between but light decorated its branches, so full of candles that from far away it looked like it was on fire.

“What is that?” He muttered to himself, not expecting an answer and startling when Maddox came up behind him and answered solemnly.

“Geobugi has no graveyard. That tree is the next closest thing. Although I have to say, I haven’t known it to be so illuminated with funeral candles since Eden’s presumed death.”

While Mingi pondered the fact that it was apparently a funeral ritual for Hongjoong, Seonghwa spoke up from his own quiet musings.

“Eden had a funeral? We didn’t see this tree when we came here to pick up our crew. Hongjoong never mentioned it.”

“No, I don’t imagine he would’ve,” Maddox sighed, and Mingi understood why. He wasn’t sure he even wanted to see what was going on down there, even as the sound of singing drifted up enticingly from the tree gathering to their lodgings.

He followed Maddox down the suspended bridges to the town centre anyway, with Seonghwa, Yunho, and San in tow. Namji remained with Jongho to set him up with all the medicines he’d need for the next few days while the others slipped away.

Just as he’d suspected, pirates surrounded the tree with candles in their hands and music on their lips. They were singing, but it was more a dirge than a shanty, murmurs occasionally interrupting the tune as they left their lights in the tree and returned to their ships.

Mingi noticed none of their own crew was there to honour the dead, and he wasn’t surprised.

“It’s upsetting to see all this... grief. I’m not accustomed to the sight of it from older pirates,” he admitted, voice choked up slightly, though he told himself it was from the smoke.

“Grief is a sign of love,” Maddox finally answered, gazing at the spectacle himself with the twinkling sparks reflecting off of the moisture in his own eyes. “And love amongst a crew is a strength, not a weakness. The many outcasts here know that bond well, we’re all outcasts together.”

Even though most of the pirates here didn’t even know Hongjoong. And if they did, it was as a rival, not a captain.

“Goodbye, Pirate King,” came a whisper from beside them, and Mingi jumped again before turning to find the source. A woman with her hair newly bleached and chopped short stood next to their small group, nursing a candle of her own and surveying the stars. “I’m sorry for slapping you that time, and you’re forgiven for stealing half my weapons supply.”

Mingi couldn’t help but chuckle. He recognised her, although he couldn’t remember where from.

“Aewol of the Lioness?” Yunho supplied, and she turned to him and nodded, a couple of intricate plaits bouncing in her hair as she did. “If anything, I expected you fellow pirates to resent him,” he admitted, and it was exactly the thought on Mingi’s mind.

“Well, his criminal activity was a bother sometimes but actually worked in our favour,” Aewol explained. “And I don’t just mean that because he kept the Navy occupied with their obsession with the ATEEZ, he really inspired others to keep this legacy going. We have a rebuilt pirate haven after all, and more islands joining the pact than ever before.”

“Hear, hear!” Another pirate cheered before rounding the tree and approaching. This man was tall and looked ten or fifteen years older than them. “There was a time we put up the white flag when we saw the ATEEZ on the horizon.”

“Really?” Aewol snorted out a laugh.

“Really! I’m older than you new pirates, my crew was tired, but we had supplies cordoned off just in case— a tax to the Pirate King, the crew called it— but he sailed right by, never stole it.”

Seonghwa’s brows were drawn together, and he couldn’t help but grit out bitterly, “He was our captain. You never even met him, how can you mourn him?”

Another young pirate with his hair pulled back into a ponytail spoke up from the other side of the tree, guarding his flame as he walked over to join them.

“Because he was more than your captain,” he tried to explain. “We never met him, but he represented us all in a sense.”

Mingi surveyed the faces of strangers around him and couldn’t help but sigh. “I’m not sure how he’d feel if he was aware that people thought of him that way.”

“Well, you knew him,” the younger pirate pointed out with a shrug before setting his candle on one of the lower branches. “Tell us about the Pirate King.”

Suddenly all attention was on Mingi and he didn’t know what to do.

From the bold flags and bright candles to the tears in their eyes, he could tell these pirates didn’t want to know about Hongjoong as a person, his flaws and his humanity, only his legendary acts and larger-than-life personality traits.

They wanted to hear a thrilling tale in line with their pre-existing notion of him.

It was that daring boldness that made piracy appealing, Mingi realised, not the quiet days of fair weather he cherished with his captain. It was heroes becoming myths that would go down in history, and they might as well have been anonymous.

But Mingi didn’t want to think of Hongjoong that way, so he stood there gaping like a fish while Seonghwa began putting them straight.

“Well, firstly... his name was Hongjoong,” he struggled through his sentences, trying to find a way to do the story justice. “And he... h-he was just a boy from Panhang at first. Like anyone else.”

“We grew up together,” Mingi continued. “Although I did most of the growing.”

Chuckles sounded from the growing crowd and Mingi swallowed his nerves. Hongjoong would have smacked him upside the head for that joke if he were there.

“After his parents drowned and again after Eden was presumed dead, he seemed to know what he wanted. I don’t think he faltered in that for a long time.”

That was just about all Mingi was willing to divulge. It was the origin of their journey as a crew after all, and it brought them up to the present, but everyone was still staring at him as if waiting for something really exciting.

“There are things he went through— things we went through— that I don’t think the world ought to know,” he finally sighed, deciding to let them make their own inferences. “But some of the stories you’ve heard are true.”

“Including the tale of the kraken?” One man shouted from the back.

“Yes, it was Wooyoung’s shot that finished it,” Yunho filled in, only to be overwhelmed by more questions.

“And the fire tornado on the deserted island?” A woman asked closer to Mingi.

“Right, we were all there,” he confirmed. “I jumped into the inferno myself...”

And just like that, all those harebrained escapes and knick of time rescues became epic tales to be circulated around the islands until they no longer bore any resemblance to the truth.

Mingi knew it was bound to happen, but he returned to the lodging house as soon as he could anyway.

The recognition was good in measure, but something about listening to Hongjoong be discussed in the past tense was grating on his ears.

It had been the final straw when an old sailor announced, “May a westerly breeze blow his spirit over the sea to wait for us at rest in the new world.”

But he knew it didn’t matter what all those pirates thought of him, or even of the ATEEZ.

Maddox was right about one thing for certain— the bond amongst a crew.

“You think he can see all those lights, wherever he is?” Mingi whispered softly in Jongho’s direction as he slumped on the sofa next to him, nursing his dizzy head and holding the younger boy as tightly as he could while minding his injury.

“I don’t know,” Jongho tutted, but he didn’t pull away from the embrace. “He didn’t bring his spyglass with him.”

...

“Nothing but blue for miles and miles,” Hongjoong muttered as he stretched his hand out the porthole window again, letting the spray of the waves meet his skin. “And we’re definitely headed south.”

The lack of ice flecking the ocean was already a good sign they had made considerable progress.

“Is the water warmer?” Yeosang asked as he stood and made his way over, wiping the sweat from his face. He was exercising as often as he could, determined to be physically fit for the task should something go wrong during their escape.

For a while he had been hiding muscle under that timid form, and his head was full of combat knowledge, collected quietly until the time came to strike. That moment was approaching with every mile closer to Haemin they travelled.

Hongjoong nodded and drew his arm back in, sinking to the floor impatiently.

“It shouldn’t be long then, right?” Wooyoung asked, mouth full of the midday meal as he cringed away from the concerned steward who was warning him to slow down.

“I doubt we’re even halfway,” Hongjoong huffed. “The distance between the colonies and even Haemin’s outlying islands is vast.”

Which meant they were sailing half a world away from everything they ever knew and everyone they ever loved.

“Why is it always the three of us?” Wooyoung groaned as he finally passed off his bowl and stretched out on the floor.

The steward rolled his eyes and saw himself out without another word.

Hongjoong stretched out next to Wooyoung on the floor and gave him a pinch to the arm for taking up his space. “We just can’t stay away from each other, I suppose.” It was one constant they were all grateful for.

“Oh, admit it!” Wooyoung laughed gleefully as Yeosang lay down on his other side. “Yeosang and I are your favourite children.”

Hongjoong spluttered but wasn’t given a chance to retort.

“Who cares about his father? That’s you now,” Wooyoung jabbed, and giggles broke out between the three of them.

“That still makes for one dysfunctional family,” Yeosang pointed out, hiding his laugh behind a hand and shoving Wooyoung lightly.

He always knew how to raise their spirits.

“I do hope the rest are safe, especially Seonghwa,” Hongjoong said under his breath when the moment had passed.

Wooyoung and Yeosang glanced at each other.

“Why Seonghwa? He was fine when I saw him last,” Yeosang responded immediately, heart beginning to pound when he didn’t receive an answer for a moment. What did Hongjoong know that he didn’t?

“Haemin is trying to kill him.”

Oh, just that.

But Seonghwa was likely safe with others, Yeosang knew, so he willed his heartbeat to slow down to a healthy speed and tried to rationalise for Hongjoong’s sake.

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” he muttered. “They tried once in Namhae, with the explosion that ironically nearly killed you. You should’ve seen the amount of security at the palace.”

“But now he’s made himself an easy target,” Hongjoong sighed. “He was here on the Black Crow, planning to fight with the Navy. I have no idea why or where he is now, but I read the intelligence myself. He’s in danger yet again.”

It was another one of those constants, especially now that the older pirate had a crown and a royal title.

But it was of no use that they knew of this supposed assassination plot that Seonghwa himself didn’t.

A familiar knock sounded softly from the door and Byun and Park entered with news.

“Admiral Kim is paying you a visit within the hour,” Byun directed his words at Hongjoong, accompanied with a grimace. “I don’t know why it took him this long, but we had better prepare.”

Yeosang nodded and helped Wooyoung to his feet. They had discussed in advance what to do when this inevitably happened. They couldn’t hide away in the hold forever, at least not in the same room as Kim’s favourite prisoner.

As Lieutenant Park— the officer who was supposed to be on guard— refastened the chains around Hongjoong’s hands, Yeosang and Wooyoung followed Byun out through the cramped deck hallway to the infirmary.

The Black Crow was massive to the extent that a crew member on one deck of the ship would likely never come into contact with a crew member on another. It was certainly capable of hiding two young pirates so long as they disguised as soldiers.

But Yeosang and Wooyoung wanted more than a place to hide, they wanted to be in on the action and that required something more.

“Hang on,” Byun suddenly whispered, stopping in his tracks and causing a small collision behind him.

“What is it?” Wooyoung hissed, already half concealed behind the nearest barrel in case someone was approaching.

“A longboat is missing,” came the reply, barely louder than a breath, no more than a passing thought.

“I didn’t expect to have deserters this early on in the war,” Byun explained as they walked past the empty space where the boat should be and hurried into the infirmary. “Strange that the Admiral hasn’t mentioned anything about it.”

But then, he was clearly busy with other things.

Surgeon Oh rushed them inside and took out a pair of nondescript navy uniforms from the back of one of his cabinets, handing them off to the stowaways.

“This one stinks,” Wooyoung complained, holding his nose and watching with disgust as Yeosang immediately began to change into his own.

“We didn’t exactly have time to order new ones made,” Oh countered with an exasperated sigh. “They’re borrowed from the crew.”

Yeosang buttoned the jacket up to the neck and nodded Wooyoung on.

As reluctant as they were, they were soldiers of necessity. It was the best plan they had.

“Here are the bandages,” Oh continued, carefully applying a few strategic coverings to their faces.

Yeosang’s birthmark was painstakingly obscured this time to avoid a similar incident to the one at the Namhae prison, and hats were shoved on to hide their colourful hair from view.

“If anyone asks, you’re greenies who each received a face full of powder burn in the battle and are lucky to be alive,” Byun supplied as he opened the door for them, knowing it was a common enough occurrence to be believable.

“Lieutenant? Accompany me to the bilge deck,” a call carried across the working crowd and halted them before they could.

It was the Admiral, finally ready to pay his visit, and his voice made Yeosang clench his fist in livid silence.

“...after you’re finished with those patients. You too, surgeon,” Kim added when he noticed them.

Wooyoung and Yeosang both fixed their eyes on the deck respectfully, faces completely devoid of emotion.

If Yeosang had to speak to the man, he might punch him in the face.

“Of course, sir,” Byun answered swiftly, motioning for Yeosang and Wooyoung to hang back a moment for appearances. It was best if they weren’t seen together with the lieutenant again as low level recruits.

They waited a full thirty seconds after he and the Admiral disappeared into the lower decks before following, pressing against the door to try and hear every word, every movement.

“Aren’t you going to ask me why I’m here?”

It was Admiral Kim’s voice, that snobbish lilt he liked to tease with, and it didn’t sound like Hongjoong was taking the bait.

There was a brief pause before they heard their captain respond, not a direct answer to the question but a response nonetheless.

“Was the battle to your satisfaction?”

Kim barked out a laugh and the sound of clapping followed. “Yes, you performed beautifully. Excellent results. However, I have a problem.”

Another silence stretched on for a few seconds, long enough that Yeosang began to fear punishment for not answering would follow.

“What is it?” Hongjoong sneered when Kim was likely at his breaking point. He liked to have control of the conversation.

Yeosang leaned forward to peek through the door, still open a crack, risking discovery just to be able to lay eyes on the scene.

“The men are far too taken with you and your charms,” Kim was explaining, as if scolding a young child. “In fact, between here and Haemin, I expect you will have completely seduced them and it will be you, not me, who is in charge of this ship.”

Yeosang wondered what would happen if he and Wooyoung attacked the man from behind while the lieutenants secured the door.

They could dispose of him in a moment or two, but would the rest of the ship consider it a mutiny or a liberation?

“We cannot have that, can we?” Kim nearly growled, toeing the prisoner with his boot to elicit a response.

Hongjoong shook his head stiffly, but his expression didn’t change.

“Indeed,” the Admiral sounded satisfied and turned to the officers standing next to him. “Would you say he is in sufficient health for a visit to the main deck, Oh?”

The surgeon’s eyes flickered between Hongjoong and the Admiral before he uttered an emotionless, “Yessir.”

Kim may have suspected Hongjoong of winning over the crew, but he still had no idea that his own officers had been won over as well.

“Then see it done. The men need to be reminded that Lucky is a prisoner, not a captain.”

Yeosang and Wooyoung made all possible haste to reach the main deck before the men dragged Hongjoong up with them, standing just out of the way a few paces off from each other and peeking over shoulders and around cannons to see what they had no power to stop.

To Yeosang’s surprise, Kim simply had the lieutenants chain Hongjoong to the mainmast and walked away.

There were a few soft murmurs around the deck, but no major outcry, even after the Admiral returned to his cabin.

One at a time, the lieutenants returned to the hold, and one at a time, Yeosang and Wooyoung joined them.

“At least we know the disguises work,” Wooyoung tried to cheer Yeosang up, unwrapping his neck and discarding the unused bandage on the floor. “Now we have to figure out how to communicate with Hongjoong in broad daylight.”

After an hour or two of the Admiral remaining in his quarters while Hongjoong worked himself into as comfortable a position as he could outside, it became apparent that the punishment would continue for longer than they thought.

“It’s raining...” Yeosang noted absently as he noticed Hongjoong wipe his eyes against his shoulder and slump to his knees with a tired sigh. He was hugging the mast with his hands chained in front of him, and by now they were likely stiff and sore, not to mention soaked through.

“He’ll be out there all night most likely,” Byun kept his eyes on his boots as he confessed. “If it goes on too long, Oh can lawfully make a recommendation to move him inside... but such an act may look suspicious.”

“It’s a fine line you’re walking,” Wooyoung snapped, and Yeosang had to hold him back from attacking the guilty lieutenants.

“We all knew the risks, including Lucky,” Park came to Byun’s defense. “If you know anything about Kim, this is the lesser of a multitude of evils.”

Yeosang glanced out at the rain streaming down the window.

Perhaps he didn’t know the Admiral as well as he thought.

…

When San stumbled back to the lodgings, he didn’t expect to find anyone awake.

The night was deep and dark, just a few hours off from the first grey hints of dawn and having spent most of the time getting acquainted with the other pirates on the island after their vigil, he was tired and in need of some sleep before they set sail.

San still couldn’t close his eyes without seeing Hongjoong’s face, but there was no more chance of stalling so he’d have to bear with it for a while.

So it was to his great surprise that San discovered Seonghwa of all people, lying awake with his crown in his lap, finely crafted jewels catching the light of a single flame quivering atop a candle on the table next to him.

“What does it even mean,” he whispered, glancing up at San. “To be the prince on an island so untouched by royalty?”

There was hurt in his eyes.

San deflated and moved over to his own bed, pulling his boots off while he thought about how to answer. He wasn’t sure he even could.

San had been paddling away from Namhae with the last ounce of strength in his arms before he ever knew Seonghwa had even made contact with the royal family.

He had missed out on so much that seeing the crown gleaming in the boatswain’s hands now was a foreign sight altogether. He had no idea what that reality meant to him, why he couldn’t just leave it behind.

“Hongjoong is the Pirate King here, the crown has no power compared to that,” Seonghwa muttered, setting it on the table next to the candle and trying to settle back comfortably. From a few houses over, wind chimes clinked together gently in the breeze.

“Even if it did, is it something you actually want for yourself— the palace life and everything that goes with it?” San finally asked through the roughness in his throat, fiddling with the edge of his jacket.

“There’s nothing in it for me without the ATEEZ.”

It was reassuring to hear that, and San found himself relaxing before thinking about the future.

“And if the kingdom and these pirate islands can’t peacefully coexist at the end of all this? What then?”

Seonghwa turned to face him and shrugged. “Then I have to give it up. I’m not leaving you to fend for yourself again.”

San bit his shaking bottom lip and crawled into the hammock with Seonghwa, wrapping his arms around him tightly. “At least you have a common goal with your brother, the king. We all want Haemin defeated.”

Seonghwa hummed sleepily, eyes falling shut. He was too tired to argue, even if he wasn’t convinced joining the war was the best option.

San blew out the candle with a quick puff of air and settled in. He breathed Seonghwa in while he held him, and swore under his breath never to take any of their small band for granted again.

He had been adrift for far too long, and when he had Yeosang and Wooyoung safe with him as well, maybe then he’d finally be home.

Sleep came to him speedily, but it was a light sleep.

Something jolted him out of it when it was still dark in their shared room, and San wasn’t sure what it was but he was prepared to ignore it and let his eyes fall shut again until Seonghwa made a noise.

It wasn’t any sort of coherent word, just a mumble that sounded almost like a whimper, so San opened his eyes and turned his head.

An intruder clothed from head to toe in black was crawling in through the window with a sword drawn and pointed toward them.

San jerked up and reached for his gun, suddenly remembering it was still next to his own bed but being cut off by the attacker before he could reach it.

He threw a punch, but the stranger dodged it, and as he stumbled over air his opponent made for Seonghwa, raising the blade to end him in a single stroke.

Thankfully, Seonghwa rolled out of the way and found his own gun, trying to load it in the dark with shaking hands and yelling for help, hoping someone would wake up and come to their aid.

If he wasn’t imagining it all, it seemed like this assassin was here to kill him.

In an instant, Jongho was on the intruder, tackling him from the back and wrestling him to the floor.

Completely by chance, the assassin kicked his injured leg in a lucky shot, causing his knees to buckle and his grip to loosen.

With the growing sound of footsteps, the intruder’s options were dwindling. There was little chance of killing his target now that the entire room had woken up. And it was a room full of experienced pirates, so to pick a fight with all of them at once would be suicide.

“Don’t let him get away!” San yelled, grasping his gun and shoving his feet into his boots while the assassin leapt back out the window and pulled himself on to the roof.

Yunho jumped out after him and San was right on his heels, climbing over the tiled eaves of the lodging house and letting Yunho help pull him up.

The assassin had jumped the distance between their roof and the next one, and was skilfully leaping across them as silent as a shadow, hoping to lose his pursuers in the chaos.

But he had followed them here to a pirate island, a nest of enemies with nowhere to hide and nowhere to run.

“Cut him off at the waterfront?” San suggested, popping up out of a tumble as he moved from a higher building to a lower one.

Yunho grunted his acknowledgement and broke off to the west, sprinting across a roof beam in the direction of the shipyard while San went straight after the assassin and tried to direct his path from behind.

If they were successful, they’d have the intruder trapped between them. Then he could surrender or they could take him by force. San had no preference.

Just when he thought the assassin had started to turn towards the ship masts peeking up in the west, a pair of daggers came flying towards him.

With a yelp, San ducked by slipping into a crack between buildings. Keeping his eyes trained on the escaping assassin, he hauled himself up from the balcony and jumped to the next roof to continue in pursuit.

All this running on unstable ground was tiring, but evoked the memory of his successful rooftop chase on the Fortress island and made him push harder. The terrain wasn’t flat like it had been then and the stranger he was chasing was much more agile, so he had to become light on his own feet and do everything in his power to catch up.

Trying to slow the runner down, he shot a few rounds in the assassin’s general direction. It didn’t succeed in fazing him, but it did cause him to turn west, and a smile began to grow on San’s face.

This was their territory now, not the stranger’s.

Sure enough, just as the assassin reached the last roof before the docks, Yunho emerged from behind a chimney stack and shoved him to the tile.

San met up with him immediately, joining in and helping to restrain the man. The sun was beginning to rise, and in the pale early morning light the stranger wasn’t recognisable, even after Yunho ripped off his mask and looked him in the eyes.

“Who are you?” He growled, shaking the intruder by the shoulders and gripping him tightly to encourage an answer.

The assassin didn’t speak, letting the contempt in his eyes tell the pirates all they needed to know.

San was busy emptying his pockets and lifting any and all weapons from his person, but pressed him into the tile roughly for good measure, trying to get the man to talk.

“Who do you work for?” Yunho’s hands were on the assassin’s arms, restraining them behind his back and pulling the man to his feet. “What is it, you don’t want to squeal?”

San strapped the assortment of weapons to himself and helped escort the prisoner off the roof, liking the craftsmanship of the daggers and considering keeping them.

“That’s alright. He’ll change his mind when we’re done with him.”

...

Wooyoung couldn’t eat. He was too focused on the door, waiting for it to open for a lieutenant with news.

Yeosang had been coaxing some breakfast into his mouth when it finally did.

Park stuck his head in to announce that they were heading to the shipwreck site of a fellow navy ship to pick up survivors and continue into Haemin, a detour which would delay their arrival and subsequent escape.

“That’s all?” Yeosang scoffed. “You didn’t mention anything about Hongjoong’s health to him?”

“You people are useless,” Wooyoung spat before he got a chance to apologise, shooing the lieutenant out and beginning to pace the room.

It was like all these men knew how to do was hurt people and take lives. None of them had the guts to stand up to Kim and tell him to let Hongjoong go belowdecks again.

“It’s so stuffy, I can’t breathe in this,” Wooyoung whispered as he wiped his sweaty hands on the uniform, undid the clasps to expose his chest and slumped down the hull wall. “How much longer?”

Yeosang sighed and buttoned it up again for him, pulling him to his feet. “Let’s go take a look.”

As always, they had to bandage their faces up and be careful not to raise any suspicion when they were in a public area, but their concern for Hongjoong and his rapidly worsening injuries was too great to simply sit around until he was returned to them.

Wooyoung went to one side of the main deck and Yeosang to the other, communicating with his uncovered eye that Byun happened to be standing just to Wooyoung’s left.

The lieutenant looked to the average sailor like he was simply keeping an eye on the proceedings of the morning, but Wooyoung knew he was watching Hongjoong intently and followed suit.

The prisoner hadn’t woken yet, his arms limp around the mast and legs tucked in underneath him to avoid being rained on.

“He can’t hold his own weight up anymore,” Wooyoung observed under his breath, just loud enough to make Byun flash a glance at him. “Before, he would probably rather lick his own wounds in a corner like an animal than let the navy help him.”

“Dying changes a man,” the lieutenant shot back quietly. “What he saw was an opportunity, and I for one am very glad he took it.”

Surgeon Oh approached and whispered in Byun’s ear just as Wooyoung opened his mouth to retort, and instead of engage in the hushed argument any longer, Byun signalled Lieutenant Park to help him remove Hongjoong from the mast and get him below. It seemed the surgeon had secured Admiral Kim’s permission.

Wooyoung still didn’t think they ever needed it.

He signalled Yeosang to meet him in their bilge deck room again and the two shuffled around anxiously until the lieutenants appeared with Hongjoong, awake now and grateful to be set down on the floor to lie still without being chained.

“Are you alright? Do you need anything?” Yeosang rushed to ask in a low voice.

Even his throat was watery, and Hongjoong coughed up some rain before answering, “I’m fine. It wasn’t even ten lashes.”

Public punishment by cat o’ nine tails was extremely common in the navy, and it was a surprise that Kim hadn’t jumped at the chance to dole out the blows himself.

But it had them wondering why this situation was special.

Wooyoung’s mouth ran away from him.

“What did you do to make him hate you so much?”

Hongjoong paused where he was pulling off his soaking uniform and replacing it with a dry one and met his gaze.

A cool breeze swept the space in that moment and all of them shivered.

Finally Hongjoong broke the silence and dropped the wet clothes to the floor.

“It’s complicated.”

Yeosang gave Wooyoung a warning glare to let it slide until their captain was dry, fed, and rested, but Hongjoong went on as he buttoned up his new jacket.

“I was different back then, the day we first met face to face. More reckless. And I had no fear of the evil of men, only the unforgiving nature of the wild.”

Wooyoung nodded and scooted over, bringing a blanket with him and wrapping it around the both of them.

“When it was over, I was afraid only of myself,” Hongjoong sighed, before his eyes cleared and he began the story from the beginning.

“At the time, Mingi and I were focused on building the ATEEZ from the small boat I started with to the ship both of you knew when we met. We procured weapons and materials through a variety of means, but inevitably our travels took us to Kon— a paradise for shipbuilders, but also the Navy’s back yard. I was careless in my approach, and I managed to keep Mingi and the ATEEZ safe from discovery, but Kim took me into custody and, well...”

Wooyoung’s eyes were drawn to the faint pink trace of Hongjoong’s pirate brand. The burn couldn’t hide from someone who knew where it was, and the Admiral had referred to it as a souvenir he had gifted himself.

“He remembered my name from the sinking of the Stardust, and the thought that I might continue what Eden had started clearly terrified him,” Hongjoong explained, pulling the blanket tight around him. “I’m sure he had made up his mind to kill me as quickly as the process would allow, but somehow Mingi mustered up the courage and the skill to break me out completely by himself.”

Yeosang chuckled fondly as he joined their huddle and the lieutenants made their way out with the wet clothes. They knew when their presence was no longer required.

“Getting out proved to be more tricky than getting in,” Hongjoong went on. “There was... a guard.”

He exhaled shakily and Wooyoung had a feeling this was where the story went south.

“We didn’t hear him approach, but he yelled out suddenly from behind us and drew his gun,” Hongjoong’s words and the rocking of the ship were the only sounds as Wooyoung and Yeosang held their breath. “So I-I drew mine, and without thinking, fired it. It was just another instinct after surviving alone on that island, I never meant to kill him... but he shot as well, the bullet hit my leg, and while Mingi dragged me away I looked to see what I had done.”

He lowered his head into his hands and didn’t speak for a moment.

“Admiral Kim had arrived, and he cradled that guard in his arms and cried. He kept saying ‘my son’ over and over again, and from that day on, his hatred for me increased a hundredfold. I don’t think I fully understood until Namhae. Anyone associated with me is nothing more to him than a bug to be crushed.”

“It’s not your fault, you didn’t murder his son in cold blood,” Wooyoung insisted, taking his cold hand and squeezing it. “You said yourself, it was an accident.”

Hongjoong didn’t pull away, so Yeosang leaned over to join in. He could relate personally from his own memories of a steaming gun and a bleeding sorcerer. “The first kill is always the worst.”

But it was so much easier when you didn’t know what the dead left behind. When you couldn’t imagine a devastated wife, or starving children, or… a weeping father.

Their captain simply trained his eyes on the ceiling and shook his head just the same.

“I’m sorry anyway. Because I can live with his voice in my head and Kim chasing me around the globe, but I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you as a result.”

Glancing around the hold, Wooyoung knew they had been very close to that reality several times.

“If we play our cards right, neither of those will be the case,” Yeosang pointed out, sitting back and stretching his muscles.

“That’s true, although we have some planning to do thanks to the change in course,” Wooyoung grumbled as he followed suit but saved a teasing smile for Hongjoong, whose eyes were already heavy lidded and fading fast.

“Join us when you’re ready, Captain. I’ve been dying to have you boss me around again.”

...

Maddox arrived at the lodging house to find the assassin already captive and bound to a chair, the officers of the ATEEZ all wide awake and taking turns intimidating him.

Maddox wondered if they were aware how much they spoke to each other without words.

“There was a distress signal,” he explained when Mingi approached with his eyebrow raised, motioning for the men he’d brought to stand by the door.

“We have everything under control,” Mingi assured him smoothly, and Maddox had figured as much but he had to admit he was curious about what was going on.

“Do you mind if I join you?” He asked cordially, and Mingi gave him a shy smile and a nod.

Seonghwa was seated in front of the intruder, not the slightest bit shaken by the attempt on his life.

He had a hand on the scruff of the man’s neck and wasn’t afraid to get in his face, refusing to allow his eyes to be avoided. Maddox guessed his approach was somewhat tame compared to others.

“Your name,” the prince growled. “That’s all I’m asking for now.”

The assassin held his silence for a few seconds before swallowing, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously as Seonghwa stared him down.

If he tried to lie, they’d know it instantly. Seonghwa had that look in his eyes, like he was asking a question he already knew the answer to. Like he was simply leading the other through an exercise of asserting dominance, where at the end of it the assassin gave him everything he wanted or had a body part broken courtesy of Jongho.

“Jang, at your service,” the man finally spat, smooth features contorting angrily.

Seonghwa smirked and petted the assassin’s neck almost tenderly. “See?” He cooed, his voice as gentle as if he were speaking to a child. “That wasn’t so hard.”

Noticing Maddox’s presence, Seonghwa beckoned him over to whisper in his ear. “Might we speak privately?”

Maddox nodded and signalled for the men he’d brought to guard the assassin. They didn’t want him slipping away while Jongho had his leg tended to again.

When they were outside with the morning sun on their faces, Seonghwa sighed deeply and turned to face him.

“I’ve seen him before.”

Maddox was confused. “What? Where?”

“It was in the square, the day Hongjoong died,” Seonghwa blinked as if remembering against his will. “He was at the execution... he works for Admiral Kim.”

“And yet he tried to kill you when he knows who you are,” Maddox snorted out a laugh, running a hand through his already disheveled hair.

This was turning out to be more of a headache than he’d thought.

“All along...” Seonghwa muttered bitterly, his eyes fixed on the distant waves beyond the docks. “Kim had been planning to kill me at sea and make it look like an accident, just a tragic casualty of war. It doesn’t surprise me in the least.”

“Then it’s a good thing you left when you did, you might not have had anyone to fall back on,” Maddox couldn’t help but notice, straightening his shoulders and asking the younger man for a course of action. “What do you want to do?”

“Relax your security,” Seonghwa suggested after a moment, pushing back off the railing and facing him.

Maddox’s mouth worked silently as he tried to understand. “But...”

“He can lead us to the Black Crow,” Seonghwa’s jaw was set and he insisted without even consulting the rest of his crew, that was how sure he was they would go along with this ridiculous scheme.

“Seonghwa—”

“I’m betting he’ll try to escape to inform the Admiral.”

Maddox sighed and looked down at the docks for any unfamiliar ship. There was a single longboat that looked like the Navy’s, but he wasn’t certain it was enough evidence. “You’re sure he knows where they’re headed now?”

“Kim would want confirmation the job was finished,” Seonghwa reasoned. “He must have told Jang where to meet him.”

Maddox chewed on his lip while he considered it. Their band was travelling south already, but a little more specificity to navigate with would undoubtedly be an asset. It was probably worth a try, as much as he didn’t want to admit it. Not to mention the Stardust’s sailing master Jihan would thank him for it.

“Alright, it’s better than nothing,” he finally agreed, shaking hands with the prince and amicably parting ways. It looked like Eden would have to wait.

He took his extra men with him and returned to the Stardust officers’ quarters. Their master gunner and master-at-arms were already seated by the door, ready to go.

“Soomin, Jonghoon,” he addressed them, searching around for his hat. “Pack your things, we’re headed to Haemin.”

...

Taglist: @serendipityunho @celestial-yunho @atzjjongbby @89staytinyzen21

A/N: Our journey continues southward! Let me know if you noticed any interesting details or have any predictions for the future, and thanks so much for reading and keeping up with Treasure! It means a lot <3

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sea-dragon-pride · 5 years

Note

☕☕☕☕☕ (KIDDING, 🌟🌼🌗❓!)

☕☕☕☕☕ WELL IF YOU MUST KNOW,,, my deepest darkest secret… my BIGGEST shame… is that I can’t get Calico’s cats to like me. I KNOW! I’m a fake druid, but I try talkin to them and I chase them around and they’re not havin’ ANY of it. The cats on this boat are anti-Tiller ghskgh;skgsgds

(ALSO THIS GOT LOOOONNNGGGGG, so I’m putting it under the cut, I’m So Sorry For Getting Carried Away)

🌟When your OC loses all hope, who do they turn to first? What helps make them feel better? What calms them down and reassures them? Why?

I think when all hope is lost, I would always turn to Roy! I know I should probably say something like my real dads but I haven’t seen them in so long and I never want to worry them with things they don’t need to know about…. Roy always knew how to keep up a brave face, and somehow had a plan for everything, even when failure seemed inevitable. All the Sea Dragons for that matter, made me feel that way! I could never stay in a sour mood after an evening meal with Bingo or Codec, or hell, even Skiff! They’re practically my family and I know they accepted all parts of me into their ranks, so I can’t help but feel better if we’re all together. Though nowadays, that’s not an option, so… to calm down I usually like to hang out in the crow’s nest and chart stars. You can see the sky and the ocean for MILES, when everything is so grand and beautiful, things can’t seem so bad. Something about being up there reminds me that life is always moving, like the ocean! So if things are bad now… then they can’t stay that way forever, because that time will have to move somewhere else, somewhere in the past. On a simpler level, I really appreciate hugs and snacks. I’m the perfect form for cuddling! It’s not bragging, it’s a fact!!! So if I’m ever sad, just squeeze the life out of me and I’ll feel better.

🌼 Write a short drabble from your OCs POV meeting their LI

I see the red sails being raised at the end of the dock. Black skulls with a sun burst pattern decorates a number of them. The whole ship is made from stained black wood with red trim. The wood even smells burned.

Jeez, these guys are the ostentatious types, huh?

Everyone looks like they’re bustling about, doing the prep work for an extended time out at sea. They’ll be expecting me anytime now, but when have pirates been punctual?

Okay, okay, new boat, new story, don’t sweat the small stuff. No one can ask you too many questions if you just keep up your overly-friendly small talk. These guys are supposed to be more dangerous than the last crews, which means a bigger haul. Roy’s counting on you.

I look around the main deck and spot an older woman with an intricate braid and a wide-brimmed hat. That’s gotta be her. I run up and say:

“OH! Ahoy there!!! I’ve never been on a ship this big before wOOWW! Love the color scheming, it really brings out the whole ‘murder-y’ vibes you guys seem to be going for haha! You must be Captain Rhea!”

The older woman looks perplexed (like they usually do), and responds: “That would be me, aye. Though I don’t remember ordering for an interior decorator aboard my vessel.”

“Hehehe no! But you DID send for a navigator and that’s me! Tiller Jakobie, at your service! I’ll tell ya where ya are, where ya goin, where ya wanna be, and how to get there! I also brought my own maps!” I lift them out of my bag proudly. These babies took ages to chart, but no one appreciates map craftsmanship nowadays.

Rhea sighs: “Ah, I did put Beremy in charge of recruiting didn’t I? Remind me not to do that again…. But yes, unfortunately, our last navigator has seemed to desert us for his own misadventures. If you’re the best we can do for such a short time, then so be it. Boys, get her set up in a room, I have business to attend too.”

Yeah… the misadventures of their old navigator mostly involve spending the next few weeks in the brig of The Quick Silver. If Franz is on guard duty, the poor guy will have to listen to him while he practices new songs. Hehehe that’ll make him WISH we threw him overboard!

I turn to my new alleged crew members: “SO! Miss Captain said something about accommodations? Do you guys have room service?? OH! What about those complimentary little soaps??!! Where am I stayin!! You’ve got a five star suite for me, right?”

Most of the reactions are as expected; a couple a furrowed brows, eye rolls, a few smirks and chuckles. I’ll have em head over heels for me soon enough, I mean, come ON! I’m adorable!!! They look around at each other, and one pipes up:

“Well I know someone who don’t have a bunk mate right now…”

The group kind of snickers and mumbles to each other. I hear some whispers - “That’s a lil mean for her first day, ain’t it?” “With HER, are you serious?” “Well, I ain’t gonna be the next one with a fresh scar for waking her up by accident!” They talk back and forth some more and come to an agreement of some kind? “Alright, we got a room for you, follow us!”

I trail behind them, trying to note down the layout of this ship. It IS bigger than The Quick Silver, more in width than in length. The mizzenmast is fortified and I can see spots for snipers to sit up by the topsails. That’ll be a problem to deal with later… We continue below deck and I’m practically pushed towards a room at the end of the hall. My welcome party already starts backing up toward the hold and they shout:

“Alright, get cozy in there!” More repressed laughing. “Dinner’s served around dusk, see you then!”

Okayyyyy… whatever these guys think they got against me, I’m sure it can’t be that bad. What’s a little hazing between new crew members, right? I’ve faced worse.

“Uh hello?” I knock and open the door.

Oh Fuck. It is that bad.

In the room, there’s a girl, sitting on the lower bunk, sharpening a pair of swords. She doesn’t even flinch when I enter. Her hair is covering a lot of her face, since she’s looking down. It’s so long… Golden hoops dance under her ears. She has bandages around her hands and scars up her arms. Who IS she???

“Are you lost?”

I jolt back. SHIT, I’ve been staring!!! “Wh- huh?”

The girl looks up at me and her hair falls back. Oh NO, she’s PRETTY,,,,!!!!! My face feels hot, WAIT, is this room hot? DON’T tell me you’re blushing right now, Jakobie,,,

She asks again: “Are you lost? This is my room. What are you doing in here?”

Your mission. Remember your mission, dumbass.

“AHAHA OH RIGHT! N-NO WAY! In fact, it’s my job to be Not Lost! I’m Tiller, the new navigator aboard the ship, it’s SUPER nice to me you!!!”

She puts away her whetstone but doesn’t say anything.

I close the door, as I default to rambling over silence. “Well... ANYWAY, your friends said you needed a roomie so here I am! They seem like a fun bunch huh? They mentioned something about you stabbing someone, not that that’s important to me haha! D-Don’t answer that! Those are cool swords you have there!! Where’d you get them? Can you fight with them at the same time!!?? That’s CRAZY! But in a good way! Not that you’re crazy!! Also, I didn’t seem to get your name??” I take a seat on the chest across from her.

She starts to polish her swords. “I didn’t give it.”

Ohhhh one of THOSE types.

She glances up briefly and squints at me. “Why are you wearing a sleeve on only one arm?”

To hide my tattoo.

“OH haha! THIS??? It’s uhhh… to cover a… birthmark! It’s- It’s really gross and ugly and I, uh- hate it so I don’t like looking at it.”

She furrows her brow and kind of scoots further away on her bed after hearing that.

Smooth.

I start putting my stuff away. “Sooooo, I heard someone on the boat is named Beremy?? What’s up with that? That doesn’t sound like a real name.”

“Tiller doesn’t sound like a real name.” She mumbles.

“OHHHH SO SHE HAS JOKES!!! Miss Mystery over here has jests and japes for the the new girl, okay, I’ll take that one. I’m glad comedy is allowed in this room.”

She seems to eye me more closely now as I empty my backpack. She responds: “Just don’t touch my things and you won’t be sleeping in the galley with your namesake.”

“The other crew members seem to be kind of scared of you. Should I be worried, or are you all bark and no bite?”

I feel a whoosh of cool air whip past my ear. One of her swords is suddenly embedded in the wall behind me, inches from the side of my head.

Whoa…. she’s Perfect.

She sounds a little irritated when she says, “I like for people to make their own judgements about me and not listen to rumors from people they’ve just met.”

My heart is racing. (Probably from the sword, right??) I yank it out of the wall. “That… was SO COOL!!! I didn’t even see you throw it. You’ve gotta teach me that!!!””

She looks a little taken aback.

I continue, “Also have you ever thought about pulling your hair out of your face with something??? Then maybe you can aim better!! Plus… I think your eyes are really pretty...”

“I-”

Suddenly, there’s a bell ringing down the hall.

The girl looks away to the side. Was her face always that pink? She stands up and makes for the door. “That’s the dinner bell. You can… come with me if you want. It’d be weird to just stay in here.”

I hop up. “Alright Miss Mystery, if you INSIST!”

“It’s Mayday.”

“What?”

“Mayday. That’s my name. If I am stuck with you, then you at least ought to know what to call me.”

Mayday.

Aw man… how am I gonna figure out this one…?

🌗 Early mornings or late nights? What do they spend their time doing during these hours?

Early mornings all the way! As much as I LOVE sleepovers and gossiping over pillow talk, there’s something AMAZING about seeing the sunrise and getting to run around before the rest of the crew has woken up! Usually, I like to sneak food from Mr. Biscuit while he’s still making breakfast and I try to hide stickers in Selim’s armory. I chat with all the animals around the boat too! You know, catch up with the seagulls and dolphins following along side. I usually find a rat or two, and they always have the best jokes!!! Miss Shih says I should get rid of any rats I find, but what she doesn’t know, won’t hurt my loyal subjects. And then my favorite, I GET TO WAKE EVERYONE UP!!! Miss Shih’s always awake, so she’s the exception! You really bond and get to know a person once you’ve seen them at their most annoyed and delirious state, A HA I LOVE IT!!!

❓ A random fact or short drabble! Or make up your own question to ask the OC!

My question of choice: If you had a personalized Captain Hat, what power would it grant you?

THAT’S A REALLY HARD ONE!!! Part of me almost wants to inherit Roy’s hat because his power is really cool and he’s never let me USE IT!!!! >:///

But part of me also feels like it would be fun to just enhance the druid powers I already have! Like basically just become a water-bender and control the weather when you’re out at sea!! OH! Or maybe it could be a shape-shifting animal hat!!! (But how would that work in animal form?? Would they all get little hats?? That’s not intimidating!!!) Maybe it could be navigator related, and I would always know where I am and never be lost! OR MAYBE! It could track the thing you desire most!!! That seems kind of heavy for me though haha! Regardless, I can’t make up my mind! I want them all! The solution is that all captain’s should give me their hats and that’ll be the end of it!!! It’s only fair, and I deserve it of course!!!

#anon #anonymous #GOSH THANK YOU IF YOU READ ALL THE WAY THROUGH....#I KNOW I WENT A LIL BUCK WILD ON THE MAYDAY QUESTION BUT HGKDJSHG:SDKGG WOWEEEE #i apologize for my jank writing but it was FUNNNN!!!!#it's late now tho so I'm going to bed lmao!!#tiller talks!!!#Anonymous

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